Valerie Young is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces. She served approximately ten years, with a deployment to Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. She is a loving mother of two, an aspiring writer, and a servant leader in her community. She is passionate about her personal growth and loves to express herself through poetry. Valerie has been published in seven of the ten volumes of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors.

In this episode, Valerie speaks openly about trauma, addiction, suicide, and rehabilitation associated with the aftermath of serving in a war and a natural disaster. We discuss the necessity of addressing stigma around veterans with PTSD, embracing support systems for recovery, community service, and advocating for mental health awareness through her poetry—both on paper and on the stage.

In this segment, Valerie reads the following excerpts from Proud to Be:

“To My Fellow Vets” from PTB, Volume 3
“A Soldier’s Bottle” from PTB, Volume 5
“Suffer In Silence” from PTB, Volume 10